ὀπισθοφύλαξ

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ὄπισθεν (ópisthen, “behind, at the back”) +‎ φύλαξ (phúlax, “guard”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /o.pis.tʰo.pʰý.laks/ → /o.pis.θoˈɸy.laks/ → /o.pis.θoˈfi.laks/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /o.pis.tʰo.pʰý.laks/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /o.pis.tʰoˈpʰy.laks/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /o.pis.θoˈɸy.laks/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /o.pis.θoˈfy.laks/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /o.pis.θoˈfi.laks/

Noun

ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξ • (opisthophúlax) m (genitive ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκος); third declension

1. one who guards the rear
2. (in the plural) rearguard

Inflection

Third declension of ὁ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξ; τοῦ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκος (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ὁ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξ ho opisthophúlax	τὼ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκε tṑ opisthophúlake	οἱ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκες hoi opisthophúlakes
Genitive	τοῦ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκος toû opisthophúlakos	τοῖν ὀπῐσθοφῠλᾰ́κοιν toîn opisthophulákoin	τῶν ὀπῐσθοφῠλᾰ́κων tôn opisthophulákōn
Dative	τῷ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκῐ tôi opisthophúlaki	τοῖν ὀπῐσθοφῠλᾰ́κοιν toîn opisthophulákoin	τοῖς ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξῐ / ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξῐν toîs opisthophúlaxi(n)
Accusative	τὸν ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκᾰ tòn opisthophúlaka	τὼ ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκε tṑ opisthophúlake	τοὺς ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκᾰς toùs opisthophúlakas
Vocative	ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰξ opisthophúlax	ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκε opisthophúlake	ὀπῐσθοφῠ́λᾰκες opisthophúlakes
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Derived terms

• ὀπῐσθοφῠλᾰκέω (opisthophulakéō)
• ὀπῐστοφῠλᾰκῐ́ᾱ (opistophulakíā)

 

Further reading

• “ὀπισθοφύλαξ”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ὀπισθοφύλαξ in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette